INTERVIEW: How my role on UN panel on nuclear war effects can benefit Nigeria

Rabia Sa’id, a professor of physics at Bayero University, Kano (BUK), was appointed last year by the United Nations Secretary-General to a 21-member scientific panel studying the physical effects and societal impacts of nuclear war.

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Established under UN General Assembly Resolution 79/238, the panel of some of the world’s premier scientists is evaluating existential global nuclear threats. It is scheduled to present its findings later this year. The findings are expected to inform international policy on nuclear risk reduction, global security, and humanitarian protection.

Professor Sa’id, from Kano State, is one of the first two female lecturers in BUK’s Department of Physics. Her strides have inspired young women across Nigeria to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

Beyond her foundational contributions to atmospheric, space weather, electronics, and particle physics, Mrs Sa’id is widely recognised for applying scientific solutions to real-world environmental challenges. Her notable achievements include developing eco-friendly fuel briquettes, reducing rural reliance on firewood, and combating regional deforestation, and leading pioneering, low-cost air quality monitoring initiatives that combine ground sensor data with satellite observations to enhance local climate tracking.

In this exclusive interview with PREMIUM TIMES’ Ahmadu Maishanu in Kano, Sa’id speaks on her appointment, how Nigeria can leverage the opportunity it presents, and what the country stands to gain from the panel’s work.

Excerpts:

PREMIUM TIMES: What does your presence on this global panel signify for Nigeria’s standing in international science and global diplomacy?

Professor Rabia: Nigeria plays a key role as a voice within the United Nations. Also, Nigeria routinely pushes for UN Security Council reforms to secure permanent representation for African nations and to contribute to policies that ensure world peace; it is a signatory to the Agreement on the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy and to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. I believe that even though I am on the panel in my individual capacity, it should still be positive for Nigeria’s standing in international science and global diplomacy

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PREMIUM TIMES: How can your role on this panel benefit local scientific research, climate action, and policy development back home in Nigeria?

Professor Rabia: There is so much that I have learnt since the start of the panel work. I am an atmospheric physicist and climate action advocate, with expertise in nuclear nonproliferation. Being in the circle of eminent scientists across various fields related to nuclear impacts on climate, food sources, human health, agriculture, etc., provides valuable insights we can use to mitigate environmental impacts locally.

PREMIUM TIMES: Through your appointment as one of the pioneer female academics at BUK’s Department of Physics, you broke institutional gender barriers. What message does this UN appointment send to young women across Northern Nigeria and the rest of the nation?

I have always been a strong advocate for women’s participation in science careers, and I have demonstrated this through career talks in secondary schools across Kano and extended to other states in Nigeria. The message that this UN appointment sends to young women is that if they work hard and become visible, their work and expertise will speak for them, and they will not need to lobby.

PREMIUM TIMES: Women remain underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics disciplines across Africa. How can this global platform bolster women’s inclusion in science?

Professor Rabia: The UN panel provides a platform for experts to meet across various scientific fields. One can interact, exchange contact information, and share ideas. It becomes a networking platform that one can leverage to connect with other women working in the same field in Nigeria. For example, my contact with the panel’s experts provides a platform to leverage for my students’ benefit. Reaching out to these experts is much easier now because we met in person, and they saw my capabilities firsthand. It serves as an excellent platform for collaboration, bolstering women’s empowerment, and driving other key benefits.

PREMIUM TIMES: How can Nigeria benefit from this global platform?

Professor Rabia: The primary work of this panel is anticipatory. While the UN always strives for peace, we must acknowledge that the threat of conflict remains real. In the event of a war, the panel’s main duty is to evaluate the potential consequences of a nuclear exchange. When Hiroshima and Nagasaki occurred during World War II, the world was caught unprepared. Today, given rising global geopolitical tensions, we must ask: if a nuclear conflict were to happen, what specific impacts should we expect? Unless we accurately predict these outcomes, we cannot properly prepare for them. This necessity prompted New Zealand to advance the initiative, resulting in the adoption of UN Resolution 79/238 to investigate these scientific impacts.

Although Nigeria does not possess nuclear weapons, it is a key signatory to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), and the findings of this investigation will benefit our nation. Nigeria can pursue nuclear energy to secure a stable electricity supply. Nuclear power provides a reliable, clean energy solution that aligns with global environmental protection goals, which is why many nations rely on it today. Critics in Nigeria often argue that a weak safety culture could lead to disaster. However, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) enforces rigorous global safeguards designed specifically to prevent operational failures. The scientific research from this UN panel will directly inform and strengthen Nigeria’s own safety protocols for future nuclear infrastructure.

We already have a track record of safe operation. The Centre for Energy Research and Training at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) in Zaria has safely operated a miniature neutron-source research reactor for years without incident. This proves that Nigeria possesses the capability to manage nuclear technology responsibly. Public anxiety surrounding nuclear power is understandable and surmountable; the fear stems largely from a lack of awareness. Nothing in life is to be feared; it is only to be understood. The technical safeguards available today ensure that nuclear power can be operated even more safely than our current energy infrastructure.

PREMIUM TIMES: Could you please share your experience so far and how you were nominated for the appointment?

Professor Rabia: Because of the network of scientists I have on different platforms and the visibility I have already built, I happened to be on the mailing list of some of these organisations. I received a notification for a call for nominations. Usually, such an opportunity comes with the requirement that you are nominated either by your institution or by the government of your home country. Most of the times, I shy away a little because I have tried on several occasions and found that the government or the institution already has its own candidate to nominate, making it very difficult.

However, in the case of this nomination for the UN Panel, your government can nominate you, your institution can nominate you, an expert can nominate you, or you can self-nominate. Knowing all the difficulties one can face when seeking a government or institutional nomination, I decided to self-nominate. I submitted the self-nomination form with all the required information. I was not very confident because I thought many institutions within Nigeria might have nominated other people, given that it is a high-level expert panel. I didn’t think I was going to make it, but I told myself that everything is worth trying.

Sincerely, I almost even forgot I had sent the nomination form, though I knew I beat the deadline, which was November 2024.

I didn’t hear anything until July 1, 2025. In fact, it was someone else who saw the UN press release and noticed my name among the 21-member panel selected for appointment by the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, to study the effects of nuclear wars. That person sent it to me on WhatsApp. I opened it and thanked God Almighty for the opportunity.

After that, I looked at the names of the other experts on the panel, and it was unbelievable. There was the Deputy Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, directors who have been with the World Health Organisation, agricultural scientists, and many other prominent scientists whose papers I had read but never expected to meet. I was really excited; at one point, I kept looking at the list to make sure it was actually my name (laughter). Finally, I realised that it was indeed me, and I had truly been selected. I then contacted the UN Nigeria House Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Malik Fall, who responded to my message informing him of my appointment and hosted me at UN Nigeria House.

Panel activities began last December following its inauguration at UN Headquarters in New York. Since then, the panel has convened virtually on several occasions and held an in-person meeting in Vienna, Austria, in March. The next meeting is scheduled for Geneva, Switzerland, in September, alongside several consultations with regional stakeholders, ahead of the final report’s submission to the UN General Assembly in 2027.